News

Japan May Resume "Go To Travel" Campaign in Late Jan.

The Japanese government plans to resume its Go To Travel domestic tourism promotion campaign as early as in late January after assessing the novel coronavirus infection situation during the year-end and New Year period. After the restart, the travel discount campaign will likely run until late July, before the full-fledged start of the summer holidays, excluding the Golden Week holiday period between late April and early May, sources familiar with the situation said. Users of the campaign will be required to show coronavirus vaccination proof or COVID-19 negative test results. The campaign has been suspended since December last year due to a resurgence of infections. When the campaign is resumed, 30 pct of travel costs will be covered by subsidies per person per night, down from 35 pct before the suspension, with a limit of 10,000 yen, down from 14,000 yen. The smaller discount will be for preventing demand from concentrating on high-end hotels. The value of shopping coupons that can be used at travel destinations will also be reduced, from 15 pct of travel costs, with a limit of 6,000 yen, to a fixed amount of 3,000 yen for weekdays and 1,000 yen for holidays. The gap between the coupon values is intended to divert travel demand to weekdays from holidays.

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Heavens Portfolio expands Asia presence by adding South Korean market coverage for its clients

Heavens Portfolio, an Asia-based luxury hotel representation company, has further solidified its strategic growth with an expansion into South Korea. The company recently extended its Asian presence by adding offices in Japan and the Philippines, with South Korea being the 12th opening in Asia. Heavens Portfolio represents a curated collection of unique, exclusive, and truly unforgettable travel providers from around the globe, ranging from luxury hotels to wellness resorts, Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs) and Tourism Boards. With 43 experts spread across India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong SAR, Mainland China, Taiwan Region, Japan, and South Korea and with the Luxury Segment in mind, Heavens Portfolio will be a partner of choice for any brand interested to develop this part of the world. Heavens Portfolio has been chosen by the likes of Armani, Belmond, Cheval Blanc, Oetker Collection, and Chiva-Som to name a few – all trusting and considering Heavens Portfolio as their own team. Leading the South Korean office as Director of Sales & Marketing is Jenny Kang, an industry stalwart with over 20 years of working experience with various international hotel chains such as Marriott, Starwood and IHG Hotels & Resorts. Jenny’s proven track record with successful openings such as the Ritz Carlton Pacific Place, Jakarta, Indonesia and Jeju Shinhwa World in Jeju Island, South Korea, a comprehensive understanding and solid knowledge on overall Sales & Marketing Management, as well as her approachable and inclusive leadership style, poises her for success in her new role at Heavens Portfolio. Heavens Portfolio provides smart and effective Marketing, Sales, PR & Communication, as well as social media strategies to enhance hotels and travel businesses in the highly potential Asian markets. Heavens Portfolio’s team of local experts keeps the pulse on an ever-changing market to deliver the best-tailored strategy to promote luxury travel experiences. “Our mission is to offer our clients a well-rounded, integrated, and tailored strategy for the vast and diversified Asia Markets. Our ability to quickly tap into key markets with the right expertise across entire Asia is and will be our greatest asset as we look onward to the recovery of the travel industry. The recovery is imminent and it is imperative that we prepare ourselves to better assist our clients in growing their brand awareness in the Asian region. We are delighted to have Jenny join us to pave the road and develop the highly potential South Korean market,” comments Christine Galle-Luczak, Founder & Managing Director of Heavens Portfolio.

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Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar arrives in Varanasi with 68 keys

Savitri Sales Private Limited, a company manufacturing a diverse range of products and services in Varanasi, announced the opening of Ramada by Wyndham Hotel in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Located in the Katesar area of Varanasi, Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar is close to Ramnagar Fort and Ganga Ghats, offering views of the popular ghats of Varanasi with connectivity from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (32 Km), Varanasi Railway Station (13 Km), Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction ( 8 km). Spread over four acres, the hotel offers 68 guest rooms with great amenities including a lobby lounge, an all-day dining restaurant and upcoming roof top specialty restaurant, as well as a spa, Loon for get-together area, outdoor swimming pool and a fitness area. The hotel will also boast multiple meeting and event spaces including a lawn area for outdoor events as well as a business Centre. “We are extremely happy to partner with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts under the fast expanding Ramada by Wyndham brand and look forward to setting high service standards in the city of Varanasi and look forward to welcoming guests to our exciting new property,” said Pradeep Chaurasia, Chairman Managing Director , Savitri Sales Private Limited. “Varanasi is an important destination in India and we are excited to open our second hotel in the City of Ganges under our popular Ramada by Wyndham brand. This opening will further strengthen our presence and offering in Uttar Pradesh and North India and support in continuing our growth momentum across the region,” added Nikhil Sharma, Regional Director Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts EMEA

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Czech Republic targets unvaccinated with new restrictions

The Czech government on Thursday approved new Coronavirus restrictions that specifically target unvaccinated people amid a record surge of infections. Health Minister, Adam Vojtech said that most unvaccinated people will no longer be allowed to show negative Coronavirus test results in order to attend public events, go to bars and restaurants, visit hairdressers, museums, or use hotels. Only people who are vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid-19 will remain eligible. There are exceptions for teenagers aged 12 to 18, people whose medical condition doesn't allow vaccination and people who have received one shot of a vaccine. Vojtech said the goal of the measures that will come into force on Monday is to motivate people to get vaccinated. Prime Minister Andrej Babis said his government was inspired by similar measures imposed in the German state of Bavaria. "The situation is serious and we again urge everyone to get vaccinated," Babis said. A negative test will be enough for visitors to hospitals and nursing homes. Additionally, the government is imposing mandatory testing for nonvaccinated employees of all firms and companies once a week. Those who are over 60 and have been vaccinated will also have to be tested. At the same time, the testing at elementary and high schools that was supposed to end on November 29 will continue. The announcement came after the Czech daily tally soared to 22,511 new cases on Tuesday, eclipsing the previous record set January 7 by almost 5,000 and nearly 8,000 more than just a week earlier. The country's infection rate has risen to 819 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, up from 558 a week earlier.

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Philippines to reopen 'soon' to vaccinated foreign tourists

The Philippines has approved a plan to allow entry soon to foreign tourists vaccinated against Covid-19, its Tourism Ministry said on Friday, following moves by other Southeast Asian countries to relax travel curbs. The Coronavirus task force "approved in principle the entry of fully vaccinated tourists" from countries with low Covid-19 cases, the Ministry said, adding that guidelines must be finalised. The Philippines, known for its diving and thousands of tropical islands, saw an 83 per cent drop in foreign arrivals last year, receiving nearly 1.4 million visitors, compared to nearly 8.2 million in 2019. Japan, South Korea and China are its biggest tourism markets. It imposed some of Asia's tightest entry requirements during the pandemic and has been one of the region's worst hit countries in terms of cases, deaths and economic losses. Just over a quarter of its population has been vaccinated. Neighbours Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have also announced various degrees of reopening in recent weeks, after progress in vaccinating their local populations. "Allowing tourists from green countries or territories that have the majority of its population vaccinated and with low infection rate, will greatly help in our recovery efforts," Tourism Minister, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, said in the statement. The Philippines includes on its "green" list of approved countries Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and India, among others.

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Qatar Airways unveils World Cup 2022 packages

With just over a year to go until the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 kicks-off, Qatar Airways Holidays has launched a range of fan travel packages. The deals are inclusive of match tickets, return flights and accommodation options. This week, the England team booked its place in the finals, and fans can now guarantee their match tickets to support the team during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with the option to choose additional services to explore the host country. By joining the Qatar Airways Privilege Club, fans will have access to unique travel packages with booking flexibility and get their seats reserved at their preferred matches. Each fan can book a total of seven matches by combining more than one package. ADVERTISEMENT Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “It makes us proud to be the Official Airline for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and for the first time ever, the Middle East will take centre stage with Qatar set to host the world’s most prestigious sporting event. “We anticipate unprecedented demand throughout the tournament, and as part of our agreement with FIFA, fans can rely on us to enjoy a seamless journey from more than 140 destinations across the globe. “The fan travel packages will guarantee customers a fulfilling experience where every step of their journey will be hassle-free, and with a few easy steps, they can secure seats for their favourite team’s matches.” Additionally, fans can specify how many guests they are travelling with and the number of rooms they would like to stay in. They can choose from standard to premium accommodation based on their budget.

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